Timing



Jan. 30, 1951 M, RETTINGER ET AL 2,539,754

TIMING, TOTALIZING, AND INDICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1947 EEEEE] 12 a HERMAN .57'E/A/EE,

1716.3. f/lgf/w (Ittomeg Patented Jan. 30, 1951 TIMING, TOTALIZING, AND INDICATING DEVICE Michael Rettinger, Encino, and Herman Steiner, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,192

4 Claims.

This invention relates to timing devices, and particularly to a combination timer and counter for chess games.

It is well-known that in the playing of tournament chess, a pair of timing clocks are employed, since the rules call for so many moves within a predetermined period, such as forty moves in two hours and twenty moves per hour thereafter. These clocks are placed within reach of the players, and when a player makes a move in the game, he stops his own clock and starts the clock of his opponent. At each move, the player, or someone else, indicates on a paper or board the move made. This procedure, of course, requires each player, or an attendant. to manually record the moves made, sothat as the end of the predetermined time period aporoaches, he can quickly determine how much time he has remaining to make his reouired number of moves.

The present invention eliminates all recording activities on the part of the player, except that of pressing a push-button. This act accomplishes four results; namely, the stopping of his own clock, the starting of his opponents clock, the registering on a counter of the total number of moves made by him, and the transferring of a signal from his clock to the clock of his opponent to indicate that his opponent is on the move. The device utilizes a pair of electric clocks, a pair of coun ers, a pair of signal lights, and a pair of clock and light controlling switches. Although, as described hereinafter, the counters are operated mechanically. it is to be understood that the push-button may also energize electrically operated relays for actuating the switches and counters.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the timing and totalizing of a series of events.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of and. device for indicating elapsed time and the number of acts occurring within any particular time period.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved timing, counting, and indicating device for chess players.

A still further object of the inventiion is to provide a chess device in which a player may stop his clock, energize his .opponents clock, totalize his moves, and shift an indicating device to the player who is to make the next move.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a timer and counter embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic and schematic View of the electrical control system of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same numerals identify like elements, a base 5 has mounted thereon. and adjacent one another, a pair of e ectric clocks 6 and l. A top plate 9 is supported from the base 5 on uprights H and I2. Suspended from the top plate 9, on hangers 14, are a pair of microswitches I5 and I6 operated by a bar is ,whenit is rocked on a pivot 19 to depress a pair of plungers 2| and 22. The crossarm [8 may be actuated or rocked by a pair of push-buttons 24 and 25 mounted in holes in the top plate 9.

At the ends of the plate 9 are mounted, on brackets 25 and 2?, a pair of counters 29 and 30, respectively, which may be manually adjusted to zero by hand knobs, such as shown at 32, and operated to count one unit when the operating levers, such as shown at 33, are depressed. The levers 33 are, of course, depressed by the ends of arm I3 when rocked by the push-buttons 24 and 25, the levers 33 being urged -upwardly to tripping position by springs. not shown. Also mounted on the plate 9 are a pair of ind cating lamps 34 and 35 which may be of the same color or of contrasting colors.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the device may be energized over any standard 1l0-volt house supply circuit connected to conductors 35, one of these conductors going directly to the clocks 6 and 1 and to the lamps 34 and 35, while the other conductor goes to the swinger of the switches 15 and I6. Now, when the crossbar I8 is depressed, for instance, by button 25, which corresponds to the moving of the bar l8, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4, to the right, the clock I and lamp 35 are tie-energized, and the clock 6 and the lamp 34 are energized. This movement also operates one of the counters, such as counter 29. When the other button is depressed, it is comparable to swinging the arm I8, in Fig. 4, to the left, which reverses the above action and registers a move on counter 30.

To illustrate furthen'a player depresses button 24 in Fig. 1, which depresses plunger 22 to actuate switch l6. This act stops his clock 6, extinguishes his lamp 34, and starts his opponents clock l, and energizes his opponents lamp 35. It also adds one move on his counter 30. When his opponent presses button 25, the reverse action takes place, as above described. Thus, it is only necessary for each player to do one act, that is, depress his own control button, which not only stops time running against him, but also totalizes the number of moves he has made Within that period of time, starts time running against his opponent, and shifts an indicator to indicate that that his opponent is on the move. Should any player object to the lights as being disturbing or annoying, it is possible, of course, to shade them so that only the spectators are aware of which player is to make the next move and against Whom the time is running. When the crossarm l8'is adjusted to a horizontal or neutral position, the switches 55 and it are open, and no energy is supplied to any of the clocks or lamps.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described as being incorporated in a single unit, it is to be understood that the unit may consist of all the elements described, except the clocks 6 and l, which may be connected to the electric clocks now being used by tournament chess players. By the use of such a device, either as a unit, with the clocks incorporated therewith, or with individual clocks, the players are relieved of the necessity of writing their number of moves, which they may forget, and thus handicap themselves. The invention also provides the spectators with the exact status of each player during the course of the game.

We claim:

1. A device for indicating elapsed time, total moves, and. who is to move in a chess game comprising a pair of individual clocks, said clocks being separated for ease of observation of each clock. a pair of individual counters, said counters being separated for ease of observation thereof, and a pair of individual indicating devices, said indicating devices being separated for ease of observation thereof, electrical circuits interconnecting said clocks and indicating devices for simultaneously de-energizing one of said clocks and one of said indicating devices and energizing the other of said clocks and the other of said indicating devices, individual mechanical means for controlling said electrical circuits, and means actuated by said mechanical means for actuating one of said counters, said last mentioned means also simultaneously actuating said electrical circuits.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, in which a pair of switches are provided in said electrical circuits and said last mentioned means includes a bar pivoted substantially at the center thereof, and which, when depressed in one direction, closes one of said switches to energize one of said clocks and one of said indicating devices and opens said other switch to de-energize said other clock and indicating device, said bar simultaneously actuating one of said counters and readying said other counter for actuation.

3. A timing and totalizing device comprising a frame, a pair of individual clocks mounted in said frame, said clocks being separated from one another so each clock is easily observable, a pair of separated lamps mounted on said frame, the energization of each lamp indicating the energization of a respective clock, a pair of separated counters mounted on said frame, the energization of a certain clock actuating a respective counter, a pair of switches mounted on said frame, one of said switches energizing and deenergizing one of said clocks and one of said lamps, and the other of said switches energizing and de-energizing the other of said clocks and the other of said lamps, a pair of separated pushbuttons mounted on said frame, and a crossarm pivoted on said frame, one of said push-buttons actuating said crossarm in one direction and the other of said push-buttons actuating said crossarm in the other direction, said crossarm actuating one switch and one counter when actuated in one direction and the other switch and.

counter when actuated in the other direction.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3, in which electrical circuits are provided between said switches, clocks, and lamps, actuation of said cross arm in one direction energizing one of said lamps and one of said clocks and de-energizing said other clock and lamp.

MICHAEL RETTINGER. HERMAN STEINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,143,692 Haar Jan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 549,359 Germany Apr, 27, 1932 

